"This is one of the first times we've been named (one of the
top diners) but the people coming through the door have told us for years,"
said Van Golemis, who owns the diner with his brothers Jimmy and John and
father George. "We take a lot of pride in serving our customers at a good
value."

As part of their Best Diners in New Jersey feature, Inside
Jersey has named the crown jewel of East Newark the number two diner in the
state. In addition, NJ.com commenters named the diner the top diner in the
state and Inside Jersey said the meatloaf at the Tops Diner is one of the top
15 dishes in the state.

George Golemis bought Tops Diner in 1972 and since then the
diner has seen several renovations, including the most recent one in 2004.

Van said that what makes Tops Diner stand out from other
diners is the dedication of the diner's employees.

"Our dedication and our work ethic (separates us)," Van said.
"One of the owners is here at all times and I think this is a really good
staff. We have a lot of people that have been working together for a long time.
They work well together and we really appreciate our customers."